MUS/SOC 307 Opera, Women and Politics: How Music and Theatre Portray Femininity and Class

This course will provide an overview of the history of opera, examined from both artistic and sociological perspectives. By examining the different disciplines involved in the marriage of music and drama (singing, orchestral playing/conducting, staging, dance/choreography, costumes, lighting?), we will investigate how what Wagner calls the total work of art (Gesamtkunstwerk) has often reinforced gender norms, portraying women as mere love interests or eternal victims. The focus on female characters will also lead us to consider examples that have helped shake those stereotypes (Poppea, Carmen, Turandot).Observing how the genre has historically emerged in aristocratic circles and how it is still today typically associated with class, we will critically discuss why and how opera is considered good taste by some, or, on the contrary, mocked by others.

Prior to Summer 2024 course title was: MUS/SOC 307 Gender Dynamics, Race and Social Conflicts: European Opera Through the Years